Big Day of Giving updates: Sacramento’s 24-hour nonprofit charity drive is underway

Jacqueline Pinedo, Michael McGough
·5 min read

The Big Day of Giving is back, with the 11th annual 24-hour charity drive for Sacramento-area nonprofit organizations underway Thursday.

As of 5 p.m. the event had raised more than $10.3 million, with over 23,000 people donating to 748 organizations across California’s capital region.

The fundraising event has broken its own record every year since its 2013 inception, according to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, which organizes the event. Last year, more than 30,000 donors gave close to $13.4 million to more than 700 nonprofits.

The Salvation Army was leading the Big Day of Giving leaderboard as of 5 p.m. Thursday, with over $380,000 raised.

Here are the leaderboards as of 5 p.m., according to the foundation:

Extra-large nonprofits

Budget: $5 million and above

  1. The Salvation Army: 180 donations totaling $386,976.

  2. ACC Senior Services: 662 donations totaling $332,314.

  3. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services: 929 donations totaling $214,816.

  4. CapRadio: 721 donations totaling $206,449.

  5. Sacramento SPCA: 663 donations totaling $152,165.

  6. Sacramento Children’s Home: 212 donations totaling $142,564.

  7. Yolo Food Bank: 620 donations totaling $139,474.

  8. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento: 229 donations totaling $120,328.

  9. Sacramento Zoological Society: 368 donations totaling $105,532.

  10. PBS KVIE: 384 donations totaling $102,159.

Large nonprofits

Budget: $500,000 and $5 million

  1. Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera: 101 donations totaling $194,655.

  2. First Tee - Greater Sacramento: 344 donations totaling $160,873.

  3. Placer Land Trust: 298 donations totaling $132,040.

  4. Sacramento Splash: 316 donations totaling $113,590.

  5. The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre: 216 donations totaling $97,479.

  6. CASA Sacramento: 262 donations totaling $83,981.

  7. Friends of Front Street Animal Shelter: 856 donations totaling $83,519.

  8. River City Food Bank: 208 donations totaling $81,676.

  9. Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS): 347 donations totaling $79,948.

  10. Society for the Blind: 94 donations totaling $78,921.

Medium nonprofits

Budget: $100,000 to $500,000

  1. Friends of the Sacramento Public Library: 393 donations totaling $83,326.

  2. Gold Country Wildlife Rescue: 297 donations totaling $66,502.

  3. Twin Lakes Food Bank: 167 donations totaling $65,949.

  4. Wellness Within: 112 donations totaling $62,913.

  5. Auburn State Theatre: 181 donations totaling $54,981.

  6. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference: 176 donations totaling $44,028.

  7. Folsom Lake Symphony: 61 donations totaling $42,405.

  8. Hearts Landing Ranch: 17 donations totaling $38,831.

  9. Auburn Symphony: 76 donations totaling $38,282.

  10. Nehemiah Community Foundation: 105 donations totaling $35,218.

Small nonprofits

Budget: Under $100,000

  1. Divine Mercy Human Development Foundation: 145 donations totaling $50,799.

  2. Lincoln Hills Foundation: 105 donations totaling $37,258.

  3. Women’s Wisdom Art: 77 donations totaling $22,033.

  4. Winters Museum: 50 donations totaling $21,652.

  5. Acme Theatre Company: 90 donations totaling $18,386.

  6. Friends of the Lincoln Public Library: 103 donations totaling $17,375.

  7. Cancer Champions: 40 donations totaling $17,122.

  8. All Leaders Must Serve: 35 donations totaling $15,223.

  9. Holding Space: 88 donations totaling $15,153.

  10. Save the American River Association: 66 donations totaling $14,974.

Sacramento County nonprofits

  1. The Salvation Army: 180 donations totaling $386,976.

  2. ACC Senior Services: 663 donations totaling $332,577.

  3. Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services: 930 donations totaling $214,922.

  4. Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera: 101 donations totaling $194,655.

  5. CapRadio: 721 donations totaling $193,922.

  6. First Tee - Greater Sacramento: 344 donations totaling $160,873.

  7. Sacramento SPCA: 663 donations totaling $152,165.

  8. Sacramento Children’s Home: 212 donations totaling $142,564.

  9. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento: 229 donations totaling $120,328.

  10. Sacramento Splash: 316 donations totaling $113,590.

El Dorado County nonprofits

  1. Hands4Hope - Youth Making A Difference: 176 donations totaling $44,028.

  2. American River Conservancy: 103 donations totaling $33,637.

  3. 3Strands Global Foundation: 61 donations totaling $33,527.

  4. Fat Kitty City Humane Society: 163 donations totaling $18,868.

  5. CASA El Dorado: 67 donations totaling $15,568.

  6. New Morning Youth & Family Services: 27 donations totaling $15,053.

  7. El Dorado County German Shepherd Rescue: 33 donations totaling $13,893.

  8. Animal Outreach of the Mother Lode: 118 donations totaling $13,622.

  9. Foothill Dog Rescue: 100 donations totaling $11,471.

  10. Hands and Hoofs: 26 donations totaling $9,977.

Placer County nonprofits

  1. Placer Land Trust: 298 donations totaling $132,040.

  2. Gold Country Wildlife Rescue: 298 donations totaling $66,608.

  3. Wellness Within: 112 donations totaling $62,913.

  4. Acres of Hope: 104 donations totaling $59,391.

  5. Auburn State Theatre: 181 donations totaling $54,981.

  6. FieldHaven Feline Center: 247 donations totaling $52,753.

  7. Placer Food Bank: 266 donations totaling $41,382.

  8. Hearts Landing Ranch: 17 donations totaling $38,831.

  9. Auburn Symphony: 76 donations totaling $38,282.

  10. Placer SPCA: 265 donations totaling $38,247.

Yolo County nonprofits

  1. Yolo Food Bank: 621 donations totaling $139,580.

  2. Meals on Wheels Yolo County: 272 donations totaling $67,580.

  3. Center for Land-Based Learning: 135 donations totaling $65,943.

  4. Woodland Opera House Inc: 133 donations totaling $44,963.

  5. Empower Yolo: 135 donations totaling $44,531.

  6. Yolo Community Foundation: 79 donations totaling $29,850.

  7. Yolo County CASA: 88 donations totaling $29,396.

  8. Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC): 89 donations totaling $27,940.

  9. UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden: 96 donations totaling $27,471.

  10. Yolo Basin Foundation: 129 donations totaling $23,159.

The Yolo Food Bank topped the leaderboard last year at more than $367,000.

This year is the first since the departure of Sacramento Region Community Foundation CEO Linda Beech Cutler, who oversaw all 10 previous Big Day of Giving events before retiring last year. Kerry Wood, the foundation’s chief marketing and donation engagement officer, took over as CEO last October.

The event started as the Arts Day of Giving in 2013 and raised $500,000 for arts nonprofits before broadening its reach the following year. It has pulled in more than $65 million since then, with fundraising totals increasing every successive year since its inception.

The Big Day of Giving thrived in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced financial hardships for a number of different types of nonprofits.